Get Your Damn Novel Written Already! Three Critical Rules

This post doesn’t have anything that is new. It just cuts to the chase and lets you in on the bare essentials of writing.

First things first….there are many tips – great tips – on writing but never become too prescriptive on your approach. Why? Because every writer is different. Keep what works, drop what doesn’t.

So let’s get started:

Rule 1: Don’t get discouraged!

Here’s a scenario: you’re an avid reader; you work in a dead end boring job; you decide you want to write a novel. You finally sit down to write a novel. You have an idea (perhaps you don’t) and you stare at a blank piece of paper and after 10 minutes you write the first sentence:

It was a rainy night and Bernie was lying dead on the asphalt of his driveway.

You decide you’re tired and go watch TV and the next day you read the first sentence of your first novel. You conclude it’s crap. You decide you’re no writer. Full stop.

Getting discouraged is EASY. It has happened to the GREATEST writers. The single biggest detriment to writing that great novel is YOU. You need to believe in yourself and get passionate about what you’re going to do. It’s not the easiest pursuit but it may be one of the greatest ways to earn a living.

Rule 2: Inspiration doesn’t come – it’s made!

That’s true. Many beginning (and some established) writers only write when inspiration comes. The truth of the matter is that inspiration comes when you take the time to write.

So how do you actually make inspiration come? You need to follow the next rule.

Rule 3: Set aside time each day to write!

Writing consistently is key to gaining momentum on your writing. One of my biggest challenges as a new writer was setting the time each day to write. Then some ten years ago I came across NaNoWriMo. The annual event that challenges writers to write a complete (50,000 word) novel during the month of November. That first year I wrote 63,000 words. The novel turned out to be crap but the experience was key in developing a writing habit. To this day I write every day.

Rule 4: Don’t re-invent the wheel!

There are only a few dozen stories to write. That’s it! Some 20 Plots make up the bulk of any (good) story that has ever been written.

The Plot forms are as follows:

Ascension and Descension

Coming of Age (also called the “Maturation” plot)

Escape

Forbidden Love

Rescue

The Riddle

Rivalry

Underdog

Temptation

Metamorphosis

Adventure

Chase

Discover

Love

Quest

Revenge

Sacrifice

Transformation

Wretched Excess

All great stories come from these basic plots. Learning and mastering their form will make for not only well-rounded stories but also help you in deciding how your story will (and should) develop.